A new study from researchers at Iowa State University says that kids who get picked last for games in phys ed class end up being couch potatoes as adults.
Published in the Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, the study suggests that experiences in gym can have an “emotional impact” on youngsters and be a “transformative experience.”
According to the Daily Mail, Iowa State’s Panteleimon Ekkekakis says his research results suggest “a person’s memory of PE has ‘some degree of influence on their self-perception and the degree of their sedentariness.'” PE classes should emphasize more teamwork, experts say, and individual contributions less.
Researchers analyzed responses of just over 1,000 adults aged 18-45 from almost all fifty states. An online survey asked about subjects’ experiences in physical education class with about 34 percent indicating they were embarrassed by past occurrences.
The scientists wrote: ‘If improvements in PE experiences could inspire even small increases in (physical activity), millions could derive additional health benefits.’
Dr Ekkekakis stressed, however, the findings are ‘modest at best’, adding: ‘We’re not saying the experiences are deterministic and that one negative experience is going to determine a person’s physical activity level for the rest of their life.’
Yet the results are sufficient to cause some experts concern, with Christopher Hersl, from the Society of Health and Physical Educators, who was not involved in the study, stating how PE is taught should be reconsidered.
Carolyn Buenaflor, from the Cedars Sinai Healthy Habits programme, argued that so-called elimination games were more common in older generations than they are today and therefore children may be ‘rejected’ from sport teams as often.
Body image was also a factor: Fourteen percent of survey respondents said they were ashamed of getting changed in the locker room before gym.
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